Looking for input on a vining plant....

[banslug]

....I'm looking for an outdoor plant that I can plant and allow to vine up and grow over (and cover), an old wooden swing set. I have an old, like 30 years old, simple wooden A-frame swing set, on which I hung my new porch swing. The wood was never really treated and certainly not maintained and looks like it too! I have no interest in pressure washing it and staining/water proofing it, and the idea HIT me to grow a vine of some sort over it.

Now, the details...I need this vining plant/flower to stay away from my house so I need to be able to easily 'train' the plant to grow exactly where I want it to grow. I don't...DO NOT...want ivy. And, if such a thing exists, maybe a vining plant that blooms flowers?

Does anybody know if such a thing exists???

Gayle

 

[orangenet]

How about a moonflower vine. It is in the same family as the morning glory but blooms in the evening with huge 5-6 inch flowers. I do not know the hardiness of this vine, so I am unsure if it would work for you.

I planted two of these vines when we lived in South Carolina and they were so beautiful. I just can not remember if they came back the next year(my brain does always function well).

Jasmine is nice for the fragrance but I do not particularly care for the look of the vine but it is easy to train.

Wisteria, what can I say, pretty but will eventually pull any structure down of you are not careful.

Hummingbird vine(Trumpet vine) has big orange trumpet flowers. After years this will become a very thick fine. It grows all over the place here in Virginia Beach.

You could always go with morning glory. It has a variety of colors to pick from.

Just a few thoughts. I am sure you will get some great suggestions from the green thumbs on this forum. My thumb is green bit spotted with a lot of brown.

Annette

 

[banslug]

Annette, thanks a bunch! That's a lot of good info. I'm wondering, though, now, if I really want a flowering vine....it will attract bees and this swing is where I like to sit and read or just hang out....and I'm not fond of bees! THANK YOU.....I'll be looking into all those varieties!!!

Gayle

 

[wutherhi]

Silver lace vines are lovely, very polite, and can grow up to twenty-five feet in one year. You'll have to check to see if they'll grow in your zone, though.

Shari

P.S. They do bloom, but not until very late in the summer. The blooms are tiny and white, and I've never really noticed bees being a problem with them.

 

[spyrosmom]

Clematis are always pretty and come in pink, white, purple, and various shades in between. I believe moonflowers only flower at night, so that may be a solution to your bee problems. Also morning glories are very pretty and only open in the morning and cloudy days, they close up when the sun comes out. Cardinal vine is very pretty, but will die in the cold winter and needs to be replanted. It attracts hummingbirds. Honey suckle is also pretty and attracts humming birds, but also bumble bees. Bumble bees won't bother you, though. They're just fat and hungry. Of course, roses. I know you said you didn't want ivy, but some of it is very pretty. We have a green/white/pink ivy that grows on the trellis in front and it is quite pretty. Or, howsabout a climbing hydrangea? Very pretty, but slow growing. I think that about covers all the viney things in my yard. I'll let you know if I can think of something else, or I'll ask DH.

Nan

 

[ivorygorgon]

Two of my faves: Black Eyed Susans and Passion Flower

http://images.google.com/images?sou...&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4

http://images.google.com/images?hl=...wer+vine&aq=1&oq=passion+flow&aqi=g10&start=0

 

[Gayle]

Clematis are always pretty and come in pink, white, purple, and various shades in between.

Nan

This is what I was going to suggest. I think most grow to a determinate height so they don't generally get crazy out of control.

 

[janie1234]

How about a moonflower vine. It is in the same family as the morning glory but blooms in the evening with huge 5-6 inch flowers.

Wisteria, what can I say, pretty but will eventually pull any structure down of you are not careful.

Love the moonflower vine. A house on my running trail has it and it is so pretty to look at but Wisteria would have to be on of my favorite vines. I didn't know that it was so hardy and dangerous. It is sooo pretty and smells so nice, . . . only blooms once a year though? I think?, .. but when it blooms, . . .it is a sight to see. If I could I would plant wisteria and peonies. I love peonies but I hear that peonies are hard to grow in California.

 

[WD]

Not a flowering plant but my parents had grapevines with a trellis over a swing. It was really nice. I think it depends on where you live how well it will do. We were in Arizona at the time.
I do have to add that we had passion flowers too. They were beautiful lining our carport with a trellis. Same area.

 

[banslug]

THANKS for all the additional input and suggestions!!! I'm going to take some time this coming week and shop around (in store and online) and make a decision.

Gayle